The Federal Way Police Department will be giving out cash in exchange for unwanted firearms in an effort to increase community safety.
FWPD is hosting a gun buyback from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 16 in the City Hall parking lot, 33325 Eighth Ave. S., to help reduce gun violence, accidental shootings and the presence of unwanted firearms in homes, according to the department. Participants can arrive, leave their guns in the trunk, and then receive cash for their guns, no questions asked, the department said.
The amount of cash compensation varies depending on the firearm:
• $25: Antique or junk firearms
• $50: Muzzle-loading firearms (pre-WWII)
• $100: Rifles, shotguns or revolvers
• $200: Pistols
• $300: AR-15s, AK-47s or similar rifles
The department said that funds are limited, so funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the designated funds are gone, no further compensation will be given, so early arrival is encouraged.
According to FWPD Cmdr. Kyle Buchanan, the process is anonymous, and officers will not be recording license plates or looking at identification. Buchanan said if they later find that a firearm is linked to a crime, they will investigate accordingly or give the weapon to the investigating agency for that crime. Additionally, he said, if they find that a gun was reported stolen, they will get it back to the owner.
Buchanan said all of the other guns will eventually be destroyed after they are collected.
The department is paying for this event with a grant from the Washington State Attorney General’s Office that provided money to be used to reduce gun crimes in the community. Buchanan said the department used some of those funds in June for a gun safe giveaway, which received a lot of good feedback.
“The remaining money from the grant will be used to fund a cash-for-guns exchange. We conducted a similar event in 2022 where we offered gift cards for guns,” Buchanan said. “The previous event was very popular. We ran out of gift cards in about four hours.”
Buchanan said the purpose of this event is to enhance household safety through reducing opportunities for firearm-related casualties in the home. Buchanan said that the risk of gun-related accidents, suicide and serious domestic violence injuries may be reduced through participation in this event. Additionally, Buchanan said taking back unwanted guns keeps guns out of nefarious hands.
“Non-permissioned access to guns by minors leads to tragedy. Many guns used in dangerous crimes were stolen from law-abiding people,” Buchanan said. “Reducing the number of unwanted guns in circulation reduces opportunities for firearm tragedies and gun crimes.”
Regarding the legal parameters of the event, Buchanan said RCW 9.41.113 (4) (e) exempts police departments and officers acting in an agency’s official capacity from the background check that is required when transferring firearms. RCW 9.41.098 requires police departments to destroy firearms they collect during a gun buyback. Beyond that, a police department/city can set their own policies for gun exchanges, Buchanan said.
The event’s funds come from a settlement between the Attorney General’s office and a Federal Way gun retailer that violated state law.
On Feb. 6, 2025, Federal Way Discount Guns and its owner, Mohammed Baghai, were ordered to pay $3 million for violating Washington’s prohibition on selling high-capacity magazines with the capacity to hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Funds from this fine also went toward the city’s gun lockbox giveaway this past June.
